The trial of deposed Egyptian President Morsi began today in a chaotic scene. Supporters of President Morsi protested against the trial and Morsi himself was uncooperative with the proceedings. The decision to try Morsi on charges of incitement to murder was designed to legitimize the coup against Morsi, but it will inevitably erode the legitimacy of the Egyptian state. Egypt faces the highly unusual situation of having two previous Presidents on trial simultaneously. President Mubarak who was deposed in the midst of the Arab Spring is currently also facing a retrial on similar charges. One wonders if such trials can ever be “fair.”
US Secretary of State Kerry is in Saudi Arabia in an attempt to reassure that country of US objectives in the Middle East. Slate magazine conducted an interview with Prince Turki Bin Faisal Al Saud, a key player is Saudi politics about his country’s disappointments with the US. The list is long and substantive, but the concerns are among the most intractable issues imaginable. It is not clear that the US has any clear options in the region that do not unsettle one or more major allies.
There were large rallies in Russia for “National Unity Day” in which the common refrain was “Russia for the Russians.” The anti-immigrant stance of the protesters was deep. Most of the migrants are from Central Asia and the Caucasus region, and it seems as if the anti-immigrant position is influenced by a strong anti-Muslim sentiment.
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